


Routine

by Lieju



Category: Yoko Tsuno (Comics)
Genre: F/F, Human AU, coffee shop AU, i know nothing about coffee shops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-14 14:03:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8016874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lieju/pseuds/Lieju
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for femslash february for a coffee shop au.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Routine

 

Khany nodded at the Asian woman who entered the coffee shop every morning at this time, like clockwork.

 

"Latte," she told the manager currently manning the counter, and Khany leaned to give her her order she had started on as soon as she had seen the customer step into the small shop.

 

Her polite smile was returned as a warm and genuine one. "Thank you."

 

Khany wondered if she had somewhat of an accent or if she was imagining it... The petite black-haired woman spoke clearly, with an even intonation. She wondered if she had been born in Belgium.

The manager of this small coffee shop could have asked, of course. But Khany admitted to herself making up stories of her, watching her sit straight and drink her coffee while watching out of the window held more appeal for her.

 

She was probably working in one of the buildings close by. Khany tried to guess her profession. A journalist, perhaps? An office worker? She'd come to work every morning, punctually and dressed neatly, sit in a cubicle for eight hours, and then leave.

Although even though Khany tried spotting her walking past the coffee shop on her way back home she never did. But it wasn't like the manager wasn't busy with her job.

 

Especially now that she had a new employee to train. Not that she hadn't been happy to get rid of Karpan, who was unreliable at best. And she had been happily surprised he hadn't caused a scene when he had been fired.

 

Pol, his replacement, had that kind of sarcastic attitude that could have been annoying if he didn't also know how to pull his weight. Even though there were times Khany wished he'd know to keep his mouth shut.

And most of his mistakes were due to inexperience. Many customers seemed to like his friendly attitude, and that was fine with Khany, even with the occasional mishap.

 

And it was one of those occasional mishaps Khany was dealing with, trying to get the till working again, when she heard the familiar voice.

 

"Yoko. My name is Yoko Tsuno."

 

She turned around to see Pol leaning on the woman's (Yoko's, she had a name _now_ ) table in that relaxed way of his.

"So, Miss Tsuno, what can I get you?"

 

Khany wondered if she imagined the quick glance at her or the counter before she answered.

"Latte."

 

"You sure? I mean, we have tea if you, you know, or other kinds of coffee..."

 

"It's fine," Yoko smiled at Pol. "Latte. Your name was..?"

 

"Oh. Pol. Pol Pitron." He reached to shake her hand, which caused Khany to frown.

 

Yoko, however, took his hand with a smile, nonplussed at his familiarity. "Nice to meet you, Mister Pitron. My coffee?"

 

"Oh, okay!"

 

Khany returned to her work, oddly unsettled. It took her a moment to pinpoint why. She had a name now, Pol had talked to her, like a normal person. Khany had quite enjoyed making up these small stories about her.

 

One day she had turned up without her jacket, despite the cold weather, so in Khany's mind she had accidentally locked herself out and didn't want to miss work. But this would cause her trouble in her work since she forgot an important file home...

 

Another day she had laid a book on the table, it had been a gift from a friend, she never got around to reading it further than chapter 3.

 

But now it felt a bit more...

 

Khany frowned, wondering about that. She herself didn't have many close friends. Colleagues, yes, acquaintances, yes. But when she wasn't working long hours she was at home, trying to be her sister Poky the family she needed.

 

"You okay?"

 

Khany turned to Pol. "What?"

 

Before the redhead had time to respond, Khany shook her head. "I was just thinking."

 

"Oh, about our cute guest?"

 

"Pol!" Khany hissed at him. "Talking like that about a customer is completely inappropriate!"

 

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize-"

 

"Your job is to make them comfortable, making comments about their appearance is the complete opposite of that."

 

Khany turned to look at the woman sitting at the window table, drinking her coffee. Luckily neither her or the couple sitting on the other table seemed to notice the two employees and their discussion.

 

Khany sighed. Maybe she was overreacting. "Listen, Pol, be friendly, but keep a respectable distance with the customers, okay?"

 

"Yes, Ma'am."

 

"And it's fine if you talk to her. To Yoko," Khany told him. "She seemed to like it."

 

...

 

 

And so Khany kept learning more and more things about Yoko. That she was an electrical engineer, that she had been born in Japan but had moved to Belgium when a child, that she was 26 years old...

 

All this she learned from quick conversations Pol would have with her when walking to her and taking her order. Not that the order ever changed. But it seemed she enjoyed those small snippets of conversations as much as Pol did, so Khany took no issue with it.

 

And eventually Pol's friendly manner rubbed off to the other employee, Mieke, who took on herself to chat with the customers in her slightly off but in its way charming manner.

 

And then one day Pol stayed home sick.

 

As per usual, Yoko sat to one of the tables next to the window. Before Mieke could head to her Khany walked to their guest.

"Morning."

 

Yoko gave her a smile. "So, is Pol away today?"

 

"He has a flu," Khany told her, trying not to sound defensive. But Yoko didn't seem to mind it wasn't her usual barista.

 

"Latte," she told her.

 

And somehow, even after Pol came back to work, this day onwards it was Khany who would walk to Yoko's table and exchange a word or two with her.

 

And the manager found herself hoping the conversations would go on longer, or that she'd know how to really talk to Yoko. Especially when after she was absent for a week without warning, and when Yoko was seen again, Khany couldn't help feeling she looked tired.

 

"How have you been?" the manager asked.

 

"I'm fine. Latte." Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

 

Feeling a bit dejected, Khany returned to the counter.

 

"Pol, what are you doing with that mop?"

 

The redhead almost fell down. "N-nothing."

 

"He was playing the evil prince," Poky poked her head from behind the counter. "The mop was his horse, he was trying to catch me."

 

Khany snatched the mop away from the boy. "Fine, I go take care of it. You go and give Yoko her order."

 

Maybe he would cheer Yoko up...

 

Khany's thoughts were interrupted by a scream and a crash.

 

She ran back to the shop, and stopped to stare at the sight.

 

"Karpan?"

 

Why was the man she had fired a while ago in the shop? And furthermore, why was he laying unconscious on the broken table.

"Yoko, you were _amazing_!" Pol cheered.

 

Well, that and the fact Yoko was looking furious, staring at the unconscious man seemed to strongly imply it had been her.

Before Khany had time to demand an explanation, her sister ran to her and wrapped her small arms around her. "Khany!"

 

First things first.

"Poky? Are you okay?"

 

Poky nodded. "He was yelling, and he pulled my hand, and-"

A smile spread on her face. "She threw him through a table!"

 

Khany's blood ran cold. This was her fault, she should have called police when Karpan had acted threateningly when he had been fired. Or not bring her sister here.

 

She glared at Yoko.

"Why did you do that?"

 

"He was drunk," Mieke interrupted.

 

"I'm sorry," Yoko said. "He hurt the girl, and I reacted." She turned to Mieke. "Call the ambulance, please."

 

"And the cops," Pol added. "For the scumbag."

 

Khany nodded. "Yes, it's for the best."

 

She bent down on Poky's level. "Are you hurt?"

 

The girl shook her head. "No."

 

Khany stood up to look Yoko in the eye. "I'm sorry, I should not have snapped. I was just..."

 

"I understand. Who is this?"

 

"This is my sister, Poky," Khany told her. "I don't usually bring her to work with me, but..."

 

"I have a girl, about your age," Yoko told Poky.

 

"What?" She had never mentioned anything like this before.

 

"I ended up taking care of her, on my trip to China, just few days ago," Yoko told her. "Her name is Rosée."

 

"Can I come see her?" Poky turned to her sister. "Please?"

 

"Actually, why don't you both come to visit some time?" Yoko asked.

 

"And teach me to throw someone through a table!" Poky said.

 

"Maybe not that," Khany smiled. "But that sounds... nice."

She found herself wanting to tell Yoko about her family, how she had raised her sister from an early age, or ask her how she had become a guardian of a young girl, or thousand other things.

 

And she would, in time.

 

 


End file.
